MediaCollege.com Bloghttp://www.mediacollege.com/forum/blog.php?3-Official-MediaCollege-com-Blog
Tips & tricks, industry news and professional commentary.enSun, 02 Aug 2015 18:11:37 GMTvBulletin60http://www.mediacollege.com/forum/images/misc/rss.jpgMediaCollege.com - Blogs - Official MediaCollege.com Blog by Davehttp://www.mediacollege.com/forum/blog.php?3-Official-MediaCollege-com-Blog
Subscribe with My Yahoo!Subscribe with NewsGatorSubscribe with My AOLSubscribe with BloglinesSubscribe with NetvibesSubscribe with GoogleSubscribe with PageflakesAre you in the market for a new Super8 film camera?http://feeds.mediacollege.com/~r/mc-blog/~3/SWBqiWFLjUA/entry.php
Wed, 05 Mar 2014 06:10:54 GMTIf you've been lamenting the decline of film camera formats such as Super-8, there is good news. A Danish company is rolling out a brand-new, state-of-the-art Super-8 film camera. This is not a typo. Someone thinks there might be a market for Super-8 cameras in the $3,000 USD range.

Visit www.logmar.dk to see this beautiful piece of machinery and some sample footage. I have to admit it's quite lovely and nostalgic.

I'll let you decide if your passion for film is strong enough to buy one.
]]>Davehttp://www.mediacollege.com/forum/entry.php?94-Are-you-in-the-market-for-a-new-Super8-film-camerahttp://www.mediacollege.com/forum/entry.php?94-Are-you-in-the-market-for-a-new-Super8-film-cameraInstant Crowdhttp://feeds.mediacollege.com/~r/mc-blog/~3/mZb1KYJ-NYc/entry.php
Sun, 23 Feb 2014 22:30:34 GMTThe image below was doing the rounds a couple of months ago. It's from a protest march in Paris. In case it's not obvious, the top picture is a shot from the TV coverage; the bottom picture shows the same scene in a wider context. The crowd has been carefully assembled for a shot that makes it look much more impressive than it actually is.

(Credit unknown)

As I've watched various conversations spring up from this image I've noticed a couple of things.
First, a lot of people are confused by what's happening and then surprised when they learn that it's real. I'm surprised that many people would be surprised. I would have thought that people are cynical enough these days to understand how much of the news is manufactured. Maybe they just find it unsettling to see it so well illustrated.

So I'd like to clarify something just in case you're in any doubt: This kind of setup is a routine part of news coverage, as well as many other types of video/photo production. It's not uncommon, it's standard. Do not be under any illusion - news footage does not represent an objective view. It's carefully managed.

Secondly, a lot of people assume the motivation for this setup is political. Perhaps because this particular story was about a political rally, many commenters believe the news crew was acting to further their own agenda.

This may be the case but I don't know. I have known some reporters to engage in this type of propaganda but to be honest I don't think most reporters are quite that shady. In my experience these setups are usually organized to make the shot look better and the story more "alive". It's as much about making sure the story doesn't look lame as anything else.

That's not to say that you shouldn't be wary of skewed news. I think we all have some idea of which media organizations have political leanings. But don't always assume that this manipulation is trying to make you change your political viewpoint - it could be just trying to stop you changing the channel.
]]>Davehttp://www.mediacollege.com/forum/entry.php?93-Instant-Crowdhttp://www.mediacollege.com/forum/entry.php?93-Instant-CrowdEzequiel Lavezzi Trips Cameramanhttp://feeds.mediacollege.com/~r/mc-blog/~3/FYig9Y2wK3s/entry.php
Mon, 07 Oct 2013 22:21:26 GMTThis morning I saw a particularly moronic action from a professional footballer. Ezequiel Lavezzi, from Paris Saint-Germain, deliberately tripped a steadicam operator and caused him and his equipment...This morning I saw a particularly moronic action from a professional footballer. Ezequiel Lavezzi, from Paris Saint-Germain, deliberately tripped a steadicam operator and caused him and his equipment to crash to the ground. You can watch the shocking display at the following link:

I hesitate to link to this page because, unbelievably, the Mirror seemed to find it just as funny as Lavezzi and his teammates did.

Just in case anyone is wondering what the problem is, this "prank" was incredibly dangerous. Steadicams are heavy, difficult rigs to control. The fall could have caused the operator a career-ending injury. Not to mention the cost - Steadicam operators tend to own their own equipment and the damage could have put him out of business.

I ask everyone who reads this (especially French speakers) to consider contacting the club to complain about Lavezzi's action, the fact that he left the poor operator on the ground, walked away laughing with his equally-moronic teammates.

UPDATE: James Milligan (www.milligan.tv) has been following this issue and he reports that the operator and equipment are fine. Apparently Lavezzi has apologized.
]]>Davehttp://www.mediacollege.com/forum/entry.php?92-Ezequiel-Lavezzi-Trips-Cameramanhttp://www.mediacollege.com/forum/entry.php?92-Ezequiel-Lavezzi-Trips-CameramanAudio Frequency Trainerhttp://feeds.mediacollege.com/~r/mc-blog/~3/zE7JS9cjVQA/entry.php
Tue, 13 Aug 2013 01:54:05 GMTI'd like to show you a new feature I've just finished working on. It's a simple online game that helps you learn to recognize different audio frequencies. This is an important skill for anyone dealing with audio.

The game uses test tones which is possibly the easiest way to differentiate between frequencies. In the future I hope to do more advanced versions that use "real" audio clips such as speech and music. But for now I think this is a good way to get started. In any case, test tones are similar enough to audio feedback that it's a good feedback trainer.

Try it out here:http://www.mediacollege.com/media-gu...y-trainer.html]]>Davehttp://www.mediacollege.com/forum/entry.php?91-Audio-Frequency-Trainerhttp://www.mediacollege.com/forum/entry.php?91-Audio-Frequency-TrainerWill I buy a new Mac Pro?http://feeds.mediacollege.com/~r/mc-blog/~3/j4NXiae3ozo/entry.php
Wed, 03 Jul 2013 02:20:38 GMTA lot of people have been asking me whether I intend to buy one of the new Mac Pros. To be honest I was hoping to avoid talking about it but I guess people want to know what I think.
Of course the...A lot of people have been asking me whether I intend to buy one of the new Mac Pros. To be honest I was hoping to avoid talking about it but I guess people want to know what I think.

Of course the new 2013 Mac Pro isn't out yet so I haven't tried one. I'm only going on the specs but in this case I think that's enough to make a good decision. The answer is no.

It's not that I have anything much against the new Mac Pro, it's just that I don't see anything much in favor of it.

Thanks to Apple's previous neglect of its professional hardware (e.g. Mac Pro 2012) and software (e.g. Final Cut X, Logic Pro) I've been reluctant to upgrade my old Mac. I still use it, just not for anything serious. I've got quite comfortable with PCs as my main working computers and to be honest I'm loving it, especially with Windows 8 running seamlessly across multiple devices (if only my iMac, iPad and iPhone worked as well together!).

]]>Davehttp://www.mediacollege.com/forum/entry.php?89-Will-I-buy-a-new-Mac-Prohttp://www.mediacollege.com/forum/entry.php?89-Will-I-buy-a-new-Mac-ProYay, Paid YouTube Channels! Oh wait...http://feeds.mediacollege.com/~r/mc-blog/~3/liUarLcPhLw/entry.php
Sun, 12 May 2013 10:03:33 GMTGoogle has officially announced the first lineup of paid subscription channels. As you'd expect, this move has attracted mixed responses. The world seems full of people who decline to understand the cost of producing decent quality content (the "I need everything for free, immediately" crowd). These people have the knives out for those who are trying to find some way to make quality content generation viable.

I understand that some content can be made very cheaply and there are producers who are making money from YouTube's advertising model. However there is a severe limit to the type of content that can be made like this. Honestly, when's the last time you saw a web series that has production values on a par with Game of Thrones? Answer: Never, because it can't be done. For programs on this level, there has to be a lot more income per view than can be provided by instream advertisements.

So, eager to support some of my favourite content providers, I headed over to check out the list of pilot channels to subscribe to. Guess what?

This paid channel is unavailable in your country.
This paid channel is unavailable in your country.
This paid channel is unavailable in your country.

Every. single. channel.

Well that's that then. The bane of honest consumers strikes again - lack of access to legal content. Yet again, the consumers who want to do it properly, pay for content legally and support the industry are turned away.

Where do these people turn to? Piracy.

I understand that the transition to a global digital media environment is difficult. I understand that international licensing problems create delays but enough is enough. This problem has been serious for more than a decade and still nothing has been done to stem the bleeding. People are turning to piracy in their millions because the big players refuse to create an easy international licensing scheme (or fix any of the other things they do that encourage piracy). We're creating generations of digital thieves because it's too difficult or impossible for most of the world to buy content legally.

When will this madness stop?
]]>Davehttp://www.mediacollege.com/forum/entry.php?88-Yay-Paid-YouTube-Channels!-Oh-waithttp://www.mediacollege.com/forum/entry.php?88-Yay-Paid-YouTube-Channels!-Oh-waitOpenShot video editor to become multi-platformhttp://feeds.mediacollege.com/~r/mc-blog/~3/jlwVR7G6xAI/entry.php
Wed, 03 Apr 2013 03:50:27 GMTThree years ago I posted a short blog entry (http://www.mediacollege.com/forum/entry.php?50-OpenShot-Video-Editor-for-Linux) about a new video editing application for Linux called OpenShot...Three years ago I posted a short blog entry about a new video editing application for Linux called OpenShot. I asked if anyone thought that it would be a viable free editing option for the masses.

The post got exactly one response and that took two years. This highlights a real problem with Linux-only editing solutions: Very few people actually edit video on Linux (ignoring specialist high-end applications for film studios because we're not talking about that market). I'm a Linux user myself but only for server applications - I gave up on using a Linux desktop years ago because there simply aren't enough serious applications available.

Linux editing applications face a catch-22. They can't get much mainstream attention because most editors use MacOS or Windows, while most editors aren't interested in Linux because it has no proven, mature, easy-to-use editing apps (IMO products like Cinelerra and Kdenlive do not qualify).

What's the solution? Go multi-platform. That's why I was so happy to see that Jonathan Thomas, the developer of OpenShot, has launched a Kickstarter campaign to expand the application to Windows and MacOS. I think this could get OpenShot the attention it needs to expand, while also solving another problem over in the MacOS/Windows worlds...

There are very few decent free video editors. Microsoft comes and goes with Windows Movie Maker and it's helped a lot of people get started, but it's always been a bit too limited.

Over on the Mac there's obviously iMovie which is fine for getting your feet wet, but apart from a sexy interface it doesn't offer much. Unfortunately its confounding, proprietary way of dealing with file management makes it a non-starter for anyone wanting interoperability.

There are other options but not a lot that are cross-platform, simple to learn and still useful for more advanced applications.

Every week someone asks me to recommend a free video editing application and I struggle to answer confidently. It's my hope that by the end of the year I'll fijust be able to say "OpenShot".

To help this all along, I'm very happy to announce that MediaCollege.com has committed to being a corporate sponsor of the OpenShot project. We made this decision because we believe there's a real need for a free video editing solution that can fill the gap left by Windows Movie Maker, especially for schools, non-profits and people who can't get access to paid software.

We'll keep you up to date with progress, but in the meantime we encourage you all to consider donating a few dollars to the campaign. There are some great rewards on offer, but the real reward is helping to bring video editing to people who otherwise wouldn't be able to do it. That's got to be a good thing.
]]>Davehttp://www.mediacollege.com/forum/entry.php?87-OpenShot-video-editor-to-become-multi-platformhttp://www.mediacollege.com/forum/entry.php?87-OpenShot-video-editor-to-become-multi-platformThe Making of a Camera Lenshttp://feeds.mediacollege.com/~r/mc-blog/~3/s_zdnligPo4/entry.php
Tue, 05 Feb 2013 12:38:35 GMTHere's a lovely and fascinating video showing Nikon's lens-making process. Nice to see how much of it is done with real human hands.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Abybv2LrmK8]]>Davehttp://www.mediacollege.com/forum/entry.php?86-The-Making-of-a-Camera-Lenshttp://www.mediacollege.com/forum/entry.php?86-The-Making-of-a-Camera-LensShould you be interested in 4K?http://feeds.mediacollege.com/~r/mc-blog/~3/IHimTLx4f5w/entry.php
Sat, 26 Jan 2013 08:01:15 GMT4K resolution (http://www.mediacollege.com/video/resolution/4k.html) is the current popular topic in videophile circles. What exactly is it and do you need to worry about it? Here are a few thoughts...4K resolution is the current popular topic in videophile circles. What exactly is it and do you need to worry about it? Here are a few thoughts on the latest high-resolution video format...

On YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ul4IXTvIrec]]>Davehttp://www.mediacollege.com/forum/entry.php?85-Should-you-be-interested-in-4Khttp://www.mediacollege.com/forum/entry.php?85-Should-you-be-interested-in-4KComparing 48 fps to 24 fpshttp://feeds.mediacollege.com/~r/mc-blog/~3/_Mq4h151GAk/entry.php
Fri, 14 Dec 2012 06:53:14 GMTNow that I've seen The Hobbit in both 24 fps and 48 fps it's finally time to announce the verdict. Was I right in predicting that it would be an overall improvement? Watch the video to see if you agree with me...

I've previously commented a number of times about the frame rate of cinematic movies (e.g. here and here). I've mentioned that I think the current rate of 24p is a deficiency that will inevitably be fixed, but it won't be an easy transition for some people. There are those, especially in the film industry, who are very attached to 24p and who feel that faster frame rates are a threat to the art of film.

So a great deal hinges on the reaction to Peter Jackson's The Hobbit, which was shot in 3D and the higher frame rate of 48p (48 fps). Earlier this year a sneak preview of The Hobbit's 48p footage met with mixed reactions and caused those of us who support it to get a little nervous. I've stayed in the 48p camp and I'm still betting that it's just going to take some getting used to.

Now the Premiere has taken place and some of the invited guests have spoken. To be fair, this isn't the most objective audience so we should wait until the masses get to have their say, but for what it's worth the comments so far have been positive. As expected, many commenters said that it took a while to get used to the new ultra-vivid imagery. However they have also said that the adjustment only took a matter of minutes and from then on, they loved it.

Reviews of the film have an embargo until it has screened in the USA, so we don't yet know what the critics think. I doubt whether there will be any immediate consensus - I think it likely that critics and the public will stay divided over frame rates for a while.

But only for a while - in the end higher frame rates will be the norm and we'll wonder why there was ever any argument about it.
]]>Davehttp://www.mediacollege.com/forum/entry.php?83-First-Comments-About-the-Hobbit-s-48-fpshttp://www.mediacollege.com/forum/entry.php?83-First-Comments-About-the-Hobbit-s-48-fpsFilm Shoot Safety Failhttp://feeds.mediacollege.com/~r/mc-blog/~3/zm7hHhxtaXQ/entry.php
Mon, 05 Nov 2012 23:29:01 GMTHave a good look at the series of images below. This was posted online a couple of weeks ago (credits & links at bottom of post). The images are not Photoshopped.

As you can imagine, these photos created several comment streams lambasting the incompetent crew and talking about the pitfalls of hiring inexperienced people.

So what happened? How could a crew get this shoot so badly wrong? Answer honestly before you watch the resulting video...

Yep, it was a setup for a gag. The "crew" were actually part of the scene and it was all fake.

I think there are two things to take away from this:

(1) The ad is a very funny poke at the clichés of auto advertising, using them to creative advantage in an area of marketing where it's hard to find new angles. In addition, the pre-release of the "disaster" photos created a lot of discussion and anticipation. This was a well-executed exercise in viral marketing.

(2) It's a lesson in being careful before you comment online. I read through dozens of comments from people who certainly seemed to know about film production, but I couldn't find a single one who picked the fakery. Of course it's easy for me to say this after the fact, but really... look at the way the crew and equipment are set up ridiculously close to the water, the position of the flecky boards, etc. Also note more clichés such as the director with fold-out chair, beret and megaphone!

Credits
Photography: Brady Dyer Photography
Production: Moon Enterprises]]>Davehttp://www.mediacollege.com/forum/entry.php?82-Film-Shoot-Safety-Failhttp://www.mediacollege.com/forum/entry.php?82-Film-Shoot-Safety-FailAdobe Creative Cloud Reviewhttp://feeds.mediacollege.com/~r/mc-blog/~3/9dRy0SDlH6Q/entry.php
Sun, 26 Aug 2012 23:48:03 GMTI've been using Adobe Creative Cloud for a few months now, so I thought it was about time to do a bit of a video review. Creative Cloud is the online subscription service where you can download any of the Creative Suite applications whenever you like. It's an alternative to buying the disks and Adobe clearly would like customers to be moving in this direction.

I talk about the service itself rather than the individual applications. Here's the executive summary:

Does it work, and is it easy to use?
Yes.

Is it worth the money?
Probably, if you use a lot of the apps. If you don't, you'll need to check the prices and do the calculations yourself.

Are there any problems?
I had a few, but nothing too serious.

Do you recommend it?
In most cases, yes, but you'll need to check the financial side of it first. Also, you'll want a good reliable Internet connection on the same computer that you run the apps, otherwise it could be a bit of a pain.

]]>Davehttp://www.mediacollege.com/forum/entry.php?81-Adobe-Creative-Cloud-Reviewhttp://www.mediacollege.com/forum/entry.php?81-Adobe-Creative-Cloud-ReviewGratuitous Super-Slow Motionhttp://feeds.mediacollege.com/~r/mc-blog/~3/x2yhWVlY9Oo/entry.php
Wed, 15 Aug 2012 00:50:34 GMTFor many of us, one of the best things about watching Olympic games is pulling apart the television coverage. Not in a nasty way - it's usually very good and I remember the excitement of seeing some great innovations over the years; for example, the tracking camera that runs alongside the track & field runners.

So what was the big innovation at London? Super-slow motion, it seems. This is where they use a camera that shoots at higher than normal frame rates which results in spectacularly smooth slow motion replays.

Super-slow motion (SSM) is not exactly new but I've never seen it done so much at one event. And I mean overdone. It's like they needed some innovation - any innovation - so they had a meeting of all the directors and told them to pile on the SSMs.

Often it worked very well. More often it didn't. I quickly lost count of the endless SSM montages. If there was no sporting action to slow down, use a shot of a spectator. Or a duck. Or water lapping. Whatever it is, slow it down and replay it five times.

This is a classic example of doing something just because you can. SSMs have a reason to exist, and that reason isn't to show off your SSM cameras. Many of the SSM shots I saw would have been better at normal speed. During the rowing I became highly frustrated at only seeing half a race because the director had spent the last minute showing numerous SSM cutaway shots which had absolutely no relevance and could have been done in ten seconds.

One shot that sticks in my mind was during the 50km race walk. A Japanese contender was clutching his chest in discomfort and the director chose to show an unbelievably drawn-out SSM shot of it. This shot would have been rather slow even at normal speed (remember, this is a walking race!) but in slow motion it was excruciating. Even the commentator made several pointed comments. Here's a tip for up-and-coming directors: When your commentator says "I'm really not enjoying watching this", that's a hint for you to move on.

I couldn't find any London 2012 examples on YouTube to illustrate this post but here's a doozy from the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. This is a fantastic example of why you should think about the usefulness of a shot before you put it to air:

]]>Davehttp://www.mediacollege.com/forum/entry.php?80-Gratuitous-Super-Slow-Motionhttp://www.mediacollege.com/forum/entry.php?80-Gratuitous-Super-Slow-MotionFree Legal Documents for Freelancershttp://feeds.mediacollege.com/~r/mc-blog/~3/N12NOQqe4_Q/entry.php
Wed, 08 Aug 2012 02:13:03 GMTIf you have no idea what it's like to be burned by a client who decides not to pay up, count yourself lucky and watch the video below to see what's it's like for everyone else. If you'd like to avoid this situation, or if you need any sort of legal documents for your creative business, head on over to www.docracy.com. This is a free source of documents and resources for all types of business and there's something for almost every type of business, especially freelancers.